Taco Bueno, a Tex-Mex restaurant, opened its doors in 1967 in Abilene, Texas, offering a menu brimming with tacos, burritos, nachos, and its signature creation, the Muchaco, a meat and refried bean delicacy tucked into pita bread. As a regional powerhouse, it spread its influence across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and beyond, with 178 locations reported in 2016.
By 2018, some of those locations were on the chopping block. Under new leadership from former Krystal executive Omar Janjua, the chain targeted its worst-performing outlets for closure, aiming to cut losses and streamline operations. That year, 16 restaurants closed shop, including a complete withdrawal from Colorado Springs. These closures were a harbinger of deeper financial woes, leading to a bankruptcy filing in November 2018, followed by an additional dozen locations being sealed off. As of March 2024, there are around 133 Taco Bueno locations in the U.S.
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